1. Field of the invention.
This invention relates to a glycol dehydration system which reconditions glycol for reuse in drying gas.
2. Description of the prior art.
Prior systems for dehydrating natural gas streams usually comprise a contacting device, a dehydrating liquid agent reconcentrating device, and a pump for circulating the dehydrating agent.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,867, issued Jul. 28, 1981, to Hodgson, for glycol regeneration is believed a good example of the state of the art which utilizes the above named components and in addition exposes the hot partially dehydrated desiccant to a flow of dry inert fuel gas and a partial vacuum in order to remove additional water from the desiccant.
Most glycol dehydration systems vent natural gas vapor to the atmosphere, thus polluting the environment. The structure of this invention is interposed in the return line between the reconcentrator-heat-exchanger and the reflux still column for removing gas vapor from the wet glycol by collecting the gas and utilizing it as fuel in the burner of the glycol reboiler.